Conspiracy theorist? Nadal has always done this. He doesn't run from a challenge. He faces it. He knows the pain in his knees better than anyone. We can sit here and speculate all we want about what he's doing and why, but when it comes down to it, he's a world class athlete with world class trainers and world class schedulers. Chances are, the choices he makes are the right ones. So if he feels he can compete in Basel without hurting his knees, who are we to say he's wrong? People criticized him for playing in Indian Wells, yet he won that tourney and looks no worse for the wear.

What challenge? Fed lost to Del Potro last year. He's clearly past his best even at Basel. Now Nadal enters that event when he actually has a 50/50 chance to win it.

Conspiracy theorist? Nadal has always done this. He doesn't run from a challenge. He faces it. He knows the pain in his knees better than anyone. We can sit here and speculate all we want about what he's doing and why, but when it comes down to it, he's a world class athlete with world class trainers and world class schedulers. Chances are, the choices he makes are the right ones. So if he feels he can compete in Basel without hurting his knees, who are we to say he's wrong? People criticized him for playing in Indian Wells, yet he won that tourney and looks no worse for the wear.

sorry bud, but too much melodrama in your post ... it sounds like 'everything Rafa does is perfect', silly ... ask general Herc for an advice . he is older and wiser than you, sorry ... world class this, world class that ... like please, give me a break . I'm a world class at something, just can't remember what

I don't think everything he does is perfect. I don't think it was smart of him to play Barcelona or to play that hard court exo against Del Po. But I don't see the point in saying he should apparently skip every hard court tourney. Two of the slam events are hard courts. He can't run away from them forever. He has to face those slam events if he wants to be considered one of the best. And to go into two hard court slams a year without playing any other hard court events would be ludicrous unless he didn't want to do well. I mean, he's played, what, 6 tourneys since coming back? All were clay except one, IW. And people criticized him for playing at IW. Now, it's announced that he's playing in another HC tourney this year, and you all are criticizing him for that. To expect him to only play AO and USO as HC tournaments each year is ludicrous. So I don't see why everyone is criticizing him each time he decides to play a hard court tournament. He's got to practice for the bigger HC events if he wants to do well. And he's a professional athlete. Of course he's going to get the best trainers and schedulers in the world.

Conspiracy theorist? Nadal has always done this. He doesn't run from a challenge. He faces it. He knows the pain in his knees better than anyone. We can sit here and speculate all we want about what he's doing and why, but when it comes down to it, he's a world class athlete with world class trainers and world class schedulers. Chances are, the choices he makes are the right ones. So if he feels he can compete in Basel without hurting his knees, who are we to say he's wrong? People criticized him for playing in Indian Wells, yet he won that tourney and looks no worse for the wear.

What challenge? Fed lost to Del Potro last year. He's clearly past his best even at Basel. Now Nadal enters that event when he actually has a 50/50 chance to win it.

Conspiracy theorist? Nadal has always done this. He doesn't run from a challenge. He faces it. He knows the pain in his knees better than anyone. We can sit here and speculate all we want about what he's doing and why, but when it comes down to it, he's a world class athlete with world class trainers and world class schedulers. Chances are, the choices he makes are the right ones. So if he feels he can compete in Basel without hurting his knees, who are we to say he's wrong? People criticized him for playing in Indian Wells, yet he won that tourney and looks no worse for the wear.

sorry bud, but too much melodrama in your post ... it sounds like 'everything Rafa does is perfect', silly ... ask general Herc for an advice . he is older and wiser than you, sorry ... world class this, world class that ... like please, give me a break . I'm a world class at something, just can't remember what

I don't think everything he does is perfect. I don't think it was smart of him to play Barcelona or to play that hard court exo against Del Po. But I don't see the point in saying he should apparently skip every hard court tourney. Two of the slam events are hard courts. He can't run away from them forever. He has to face those slam events if he wants to be considered one of the best. And to go into two hard court slams a year without playing any other hard court events would be ludicrous unless he didn't want to do well. I mean, he's played, what, 6 tourneys since coming back? All were clay except one, IW. And people criticized him for playing at IW. Now, it's announced that he's playing in another HC tourney this year, and you all are criticizing him for that. To expect him to only play AO and USO as HC tournaments each year is ludicrous. So I don't see why everyone is criticizing him each time he decides to play a hard court tournament. He's got to practice for the bigger HC events if he wants to do well. And he's a professional athlete. Of course he's going to get the best trainers and schedulers in the world.

I agree. That's why his fans suggest skipping all hardcourt tournaments including AO and USO.

Just messin' with ya I think the main issue here is Basel comes after USO and he's never played this tourney in the past. What's the motivation now? It's not preparation for any slam (AO is too far away) and I don't see points/money as an issue for him. Does he need to enter a tourney after the grand slams are done and the only events that might be priority are Bercy and WTF?

first of all, Rafa seems to be fine. I mean he did win IW and a couple of clay tournaments, reached the final at MC etc. Not sure about Rafa and indoor HC. I apologize to his fans but I don't think he'll ever win WTF.

first of all, Rafa seems to be fine. I mean he did win IW and a couple of clay tournaments, reached the final at MC etc. Not sure about Rafa and indoor HC. I apologize to his fans but I don't think he'll ever win WTF.

Never is a strong word isn't it? He's won fast hard courts before and has been to the semis of the WTF multiple times. He might be more susceptible to losses indoors but Federer and Djokovic are the only two who might be considered a favorite over him and even then Federer's getting older and Djokovic doesn't have the best of histories at the WTF. And the second tier of dangerous players like Delpot Berdych and Tsonga are always a hit or miss. It's very likely Nadal will win one or more.

first of all, Rafa seems to be fine. I mean he did win IW and a couple of clay tournaments, reached the final at MC etc. Not sure about Rafa and indoor HC. I apologize to his fans but I don't think he'll ever win WTF.

Never is a strong word isn't it? He's won fast hard courts before and has been to the semis of the WTF multiple times. He might be more susceptible to losses indoors but Federer and Djokovic are the only two who might be considered a favorite over him and even then Federer's getting older and Djokovic doesn't have the best of histories at the WTF. And the second tier of dangerous players like Delpot Berdych and Tsonga are always a hit or miss. It's very likely Nadal will win one or more.

alright Pawan, you are right. never say never. as for Nole not being successful there ... I'm scratching my head right now... he won it twice

first of all, Rafa seems to be fine. I mean he did win IW and a couple of clay tournaments, reached the final at MC etc. Not sure about Rafa and indoor HC. I apologize to his fans but I don't think he'll ever win WTF.

Never is a strong word isn't it? He's won fast hard courts before and has been to the semis of the WTF multiple times. He might be more susceptible to losses indoors but Federer and Djokovic are the only two who might be considered a favorite over him and even then Federer's getting older and Djokovic doesn't have the best of histories at the WTF. And the second tier of dangerous players like Delpot Berdych and Tsonga are always a hit or miss. It's very likely Nadal will win one or more.

alright Pawan, you are right. never say never. as for Nole not being successful there ... I'm scratching my head right now... he won it twice

My bad. I thought he had only won it once. I think the one or two times where he had poor showings really stuck in my head for some reason. But yeah, Nole's no joke indoors and he's only gotten more and more consistent throughout the season over the years so should be in as good a form as ever going into WTF the next few years so he'll probably be Nadal's biggest hurdle.

first of all, Rafa seems to be fine. I mean he did win IW and a couple of clay tournaments, reached the final at MC etc. Not sure about Rafa and indoor HC. I apologize to his fans but I don't think he'll ever win WTF.

first of all, Rafa seems to be fine. I mean he did win IW and a couple of clay tournaments, reached the final at MC etc. Not sure about Rafa and indoor HC. I apologize to his fans but I don't think he'll ever win WTF.

mate, I'm just trolling trying to piss Shank and 186 :innocent:No, it's not in the cards.

first of all, Rafa seems to be fine. I mean he did win IW and a couple of clay tournaments, reached the final at MC etc. Not sure about Rafa and indoor HC. I apologize to his fans but I don't think he'll ever win WTF.

Naturally Nadal enters Basel at a time when Federer is not even guaranteed to win the event anymore due to age. He never would have played it in 2006-2010 as he would have had his famous ASS handed to him.

like in dubai 2006 i guess......

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Marian Vajda to Novak Djokovic, "I saw you beat that man like I never saw no man get beat before, and the man KEPT COMING AFTER YOU! Now we don't need no man like that in our lives."